Monday, December 29, 2008

Rashad Evans def. Forrest Griffin via TKO (punches) R3, 2:46- Rashad and Forrest traded shots for the first two rounds. Forrest probably got the better of Rashad in the first two with more punches and kicks landed. In the third, Rashad was able to get a takedown from a Griffin kick and then unleashed a flurry of punches and hammerfists forcing the ref to intervene.(Rashad Evans pictured)

Rashad, with the 205 pound belt in hand, now has to be the most accomplished fighter to emerge from TUF. Evans now has 8 straight official victories inside the octagon. He had three additional wins in TUF that are not official.*Fight of the Night Bonus*MMA Blaster readers picked Evans over Griffin 17-15

Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via TKO (punches) R2, 1:54- Frank Mir dominated the fight as Nogueira never mounted any offense. Through the two rounds, Mir looked to be the better striker, knocking Nog to the floor and bouncing his head back throughout the fight. After knocking Nog to the ground in the second, Mir followed with punches until the ref stepped in. While the stoppage may have been a little early, Nog wasn't intelligently defending himself.(Frank Mir pictured)

Mir, with Interim HW Belt in tow, will now face Brock Lesnar sometime next year. My guess would be that the fight happens sometime in March or April. This will be a repeat of the fight which ended in a Mir victory via kneebar. Mir was getting beat up before securing the submission in that fight.

C.B. Dollaway def. Mike Massenzio via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:01- CB was technically sound in this fight getting the takedown, mount and then throwing strikes until the ref had to step in and stop the fight.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Wanderlei Silva via KO (punch) R1, 3:21- Rampage emphatically got the the demons off his back in this fight. After losing a razor thin decision to Forrest Griffin, and a public meltdown, Rampage desperately needed a victory. Rampage landed a flush left hook sending Silva to the ground then followed it with strikes until the ref stepped in.

A fight with Rashad Evans for the 205 pound title will probably be Rampage's next fight. Rampage had lost his previous two fights with Wanderlei.

Cheick Kongo def. Mostapha Al-Turk via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:37- After some inadvertent knees thrown by Kongo, he found his mark. Kongo threw a right hand that dropped Al-Turk then brought elbows and punches until the fight had to be stopped.

Yushin Okami def. Dean Lister via unanimous decision- Lister could not get any offense going in his loss to Okami. Okami used a systematic approach to grind out the decision.

Antoni Hardonk def. Mike Wessel via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:09- Wessel looked good in the first round, but in the second, Hardonk turned the tide. Hardonk got a sweep, then dominant position, then threw strikes until the bout was stopped.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The TUF 8 finale lived up to the hype as it featured some excellent fights. Gameplans proved to be key in the tournament finals, as Bader kept the fight standing and Efrain used his superior wrestling.

Efrain Escudero def Phillipe Nover via unanimous decision for the TUF lightweight tournament championship- Efrain dominated in the takedown and ground and pound department to win a unanimous decision. It was a great strategy as Phillipe didn't have an answer from Efrain's relentless attack. Phillipe's best offense came in the third round when he was able to lock in a shoulder lock/omaplata attempt. Phillipe just couldn't finish the move. Efrain, at 22 years old, has some definite potential in the 155 pound division. (Efrain Escudero pictured)

Ryan Bader def Vinny Magalhaes via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:18 for the TUF light heavyweight tournament championship- Bader's strategy for the fight was to keep it standing to avoid Vinny's submission game. Bader threws some punches and kicks before a launching a big overhand right. The punch was partially blocked but clipped Vinny in the temple. Vinny crumpled to the canvas, and tried to roll on his back. Unfortunately, Vinny had to eat a few more punches before the ref stepped in. Bader showcased superior power throughout his stint on the show. He will give 205 pounders problems for some time.(Ryan Bader pictured)

Anthony Johnson def Kevin Burns via KO(kick) R3, 0:28- Johnson got revenge after sitting out 5 months after getting poked in the eye in their last fight. Burns was close with a triangle choke attempt in the first but was unsuccessful. In the second, we saw mostly Johnson ground and pound. In the third, Johnson let loose a nasty high kick that saw Johnson's shin strike Burns directly in the jaw. Burns went straight back, knocked unconscious. That kick will be on the UFC's highlight reel for years to come.*Johnson won KO of the night.

Wilson Gouveia def Jason MacDonald via sub (strikes) R1, 2:18- Gouveia made short work of Jason MacDonald, despite missing weight by 3 pounds the day before. Gouveia landed a straight right to MacDonald's jaw then a barrage of hammerfists and punches to win the fight.

Junie Browning def Dave Kaplan via sub (armbar) R2, 1:32- Junie looked crisp in his striking and cardio. He landed strike after strike on Kaplan in the first. To his credit, Kaplan wasn't knocked out. He was armbarred in the second round however, as Junie looked much improved from his time on the show.*Browning and Kaplan won fight of the night.

Krzysztof Soszynski def Shane Primm via sub (kimura) R2, 3:27- Krzysztof's awkward stand-up style looked to confuse Shane Primm from the start, as he was able to land punches on Primm. Near the end of the first, Krzysztof almost had a kimura. In the second, Krzystof went for the submission again and tweaked Primm's arm for the tapout.*Soszynski won submission of the night.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Here are the results from Adreneline MMA 2 which took place in Moline, Illinois. Probably not the best scheduling as the Bears game was on during the fights. I haven't watched all the fights yet, the rest are sitting on the DVR. As you can see there weren't any upsets on the card as all the former IFL fighters came out victorious.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Fight For the Troops card ended out to be one of the best shows in recent memory. It also was one of the most brutal, as the injury list for this card will end up being long and plentiful. The fights themselves were exciting. There was an abundance of star power giving support to the Intrepid Fallen Hero's fund. Some were Jack Black, Charlie Sheen, Lauren Prepon and Everlast.Josh Koscheck def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via KO (punch) R1, 2:15- Koscheck and Yoshida briefly circled before Koscheck threw a massive right hand. The punch connected and Yoshida was knocked out standing. Koscheck followed up the punch and Yoshida collapsed violently to the canvas before the ref stopped it. The brutal KO won the knockout of the night award.

Mike Swick def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO (strikes) R1, 0:33- This fight didn't last long as Swick threw a quick combination that landed. While stunned, Goulet went for a single leg. Unfortunately for Goulet, Swick unleased a fury of punches before Goulet was out cold and the ref jumped in.

Steve Cantwell def. Razak Al-Hassan via technical sub (armbar) R1, 4:04- Razak Al-Hassan pressed the action from the start of the bout, throwing body kicks and punches. Al-Hassan was dropping his hands after the strikes however, and Cantwell answered with a high kick which dropped Al-Hassan. After some time on the ground, Cantwell secured an arm-bar. Al-Hassan didn't tap and tried to roll out of it. Unfortunately, it was too deep and Cantwell wrenched it until the ref stepped in. The arm was likely broke and a tendon damaged. I'll try to update you on his condition.

Tim Credeur def. Nate Loughran via TKO (injury) R2, 5:00- Tim Credeur dominated the stand-up in route to winning his second straight fight inside the UFC. Credeur has an awkward stance that makes it difficult for opponents to time. Credeur also looked good when the fight hit the mat. In the second, Credeur struck Loughran in the ribs a couple times with kicks and a punch, and it appeared that was the reason he couldn't continue.

Jim Miller def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision- This was the first fight broadcast of the night and lived up to the fight of the night honors that it received. Miller hit Wiman with punches, kicks, body kicks, body punches, a tight guillotine choke, and an upkick, but Wiman didn't go down. The fight ended with Miller trying to sink another submission. Miller took the fight on short notice and fought with some serious fire.

Ben Saunders def. Brandon Wolff via TKO (strikes) R1, 1:49- Saunders put on his best Anderson Silva impersonation to work over Brandon Wolff. He threw knee after knee after knee before crumpling Brandon Wolff. He left with a massive lump on his head after the fight. I haven't seen a hematoma like that in some time.

Dale Hartt def. Corey Hill via TKO (leg injury) R2, 0:20- Corey Hill was winning the first round of this fight before coming out in the second and throwing a low kick. The kick was checked in the shin by Dale Hart and Hill's tibia snapped. It was one of the most gruesome injuries you will see. It looked like Jose Landi-Jons from TKO 32.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Dana White has confirmed at a press conference for UFC: Fight for the Troops, that Thiago Alves is the number 1 contender for the welterweight belt. Alves will face the winner of the Georges St. Pierre v. BJ Penn fight which takes place at UFC 94 on January 31, 2009. Alves earned the title shot with seven straight victories in the UFC. The past three have come against top competition in Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Josh Koshcheck.Below is a highlight video.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

UFC Ultimate 2008 will take place on December 27, 2008. It will feature two title matches and a superfight between Wanderlei Silva and Rampage Jackson. The fights will take place in Las Vegas. All 20 fighters made weight at the weigh-ins, as a Wanderlei and Rampage scuffle served as a highlight.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans- This UFC light heavyweight title match will most likely become a slugfest. Rashad has been testing his foes on his feet in recent matches. Forrest will look to defend the takedown and find a rhythm to Rashad's sometimes style.

Champ Forrest Griffin (16-4) won the title with a very slim decision victory over Rampage Jackson. Prior to that fight, Griffin dominated Pride superstar Mauricio Shogun Rua, finishing him with a rear naked choke. Griffin has defeated Stephen Bonnar, Hector Ramirez, Elvis Sinosic, Chael Sonnen and Jeff Monson in his career. Griffin won TUF 1 in an epic battle against Stephan Bonnar.(Forrest Griffin pictured)

Rashad Evans (14-0-1) knocked out Chuck Liddell to earn a shot of the title in September. Previously Rashad won a split decision over Michael Bisping, drew with Tito Ortiz, and viciously knocked out Sean Salmon with a head kick and Jason Lambert with ground and pound. Rashad won the heavyweight season of TUF in the second season with a victory over Brad Imes.(Rashad Evans pictured)

Champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir- This fight is for the interim Heavyweight Title. The winner will face Brock Lesnar sometime next year in a unification match. Nogueira won the fight with a come from behind guillotine choke victory over Tim Sylvia last February.

Nogueira is an indestructible opponent who has never been submitted or knocked out. He seems to be able to take a monstrous amount of punishment and can't be stopped. Nogueira has victories over Josh Barnett, Heath Herring, Fabricio Werdum, Sergei Kharitonov, Mirko Filipovic, Mark Coleman and countless others.(Nogueira getting the guillotine)

Frank Mir has been on a mission since his horrific motorcycle crash that broke his leg. Mir won over Antoni Hardonk via kimura before his kneebar victory over Brock Lesnar. Mir did not look good in the fights prior to that looking slow in his loss to Brandon Vera, decision victory over Dan Christison and loss to Marcio Cruz. Mir holds an arm breaking victory over Tim Sylvia and submission victories over Roberto Traven and Pete Williams.(Frank Mir pictured)

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva- This fight will more than likely result in another war. Silva has won the past two in devasting fashion. However, what most people forget is that Rampage has had opportunities to win the two fights. If Rampage can get some takedowns he will have a chance to win. Silva will look to keep the fight standing and utilize his superior Muay Thai game.

FEG, the same group behind Dream and K-1 will host an annual New Years Eve show on December 31st in Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The event will most likely be broadcast on HDNet at an odd time, so make sure to set your DVR. There are 4 bouts that will be fought under K-1 kickboxing rules. It will be interesting to see top ten fighters Kawajiri(155) and Mousasi(185) fight under K-1 rules. It has been interesting as fights keep getting added as we get closer to fight time.

MMA Fights

Hong Man Choi vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic- Cro Cop is fighting for the first time since his notorious fight with Alistair Overeem. That was called a no contest after repeated Overeem knees to Cro Cop's groin. Cro Cop's career seemed to have peaked in 2006 when he won the Pride Absolute Grand Prix with wins over Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Ikuhisa Minowa. Since then he has won over Eddie Sanchez and Tatsuya Mizuno, while not looking himself against Cheick Kongo, Gabriel Gonzaga and Alistair Overeem.(Cro Cop KO of Don Caras, Jr.)

Hong Man Choi has not fought MMA since a loss last New Years Eve to Fedor. Choi at 7'2" 300 pounds or so will have a distinct size advantage. It will be interesting to see what Cro Cop's gameplan will be. It might be to take Choi down, but Cro Cop will have to take punishment to use that manuever. Interesting fight.(Hong Man Choi throwing a kick in K-1)

Mark Hunt vs. Jerome Le Banner- Expect this fight to be a stand-up war. Both fighters excelled in K-1 kickboxing competition. Hunt will be carrying a weight advantage going into the fight. Le Banner beat Junichi Sawayashiki before losing to eventual winner Remy Bonjasky in the 2008 K-1 Grand Prix this year. Le Banner has a 3-1 MMA record and a 74-16 kickboxing record. Among his three MMA victories are Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jimmy Abriz.*Le Banner has repordedly withdrawn at the last minute due to the flu. Melvin Manhoef will take his place.(Jerome Le Banner pictured)

Hunt has a prior KO victory over Le Banner in K-1 during his championship run. Hunt is looking for his first win since 2006 as he has lost three MMA fights in a row to Fedor, Alistair Overeem, and Josh Barnett, all top competition. Hunt has notable wins in MMA over Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Cro Cop, Dan Bobish and Wanderlei Silva. A highly decorated kickboxer, Hunt won the K-1 World Grand Prix in 2001.(Mark Hunt pictured)

Eddie Alvarez vs. Shin'ya Aoki- This is the fight most fans are clamoring about as two of the best lightweights will tangle. Alvarez is generally ranked as the number 2 lightweight behind BJ Penn. Alvarez has had a breakout year, notching 4 wins including Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Ross Ebanez.(Eddie Alvarez pictured)

Aoki, a submission wizard, has also had an excellent year, going 4-1 with a win over JZ Calvancante. Aoki has one of the top submissions of the year over Katsuhiko Nagata with a mounted gogoplata. Aoki also has wins over Joachim Hansen, Caol Uno, Jason Black and George Sotiropoulos.(Aoki choking out Clay French)

While Kiyoshi Tamura is not very well known in the United States, his resume speaks for itself. The 39 year old former pro wrestler, catch wrestler and mixed martial artist has gone 32-13 in his mma career. He is tough with wins over Ikuhisa Minowa, Pat Miletich, Renzo Gracie, Dave Menne and Maurice Smith.(Tamura getting an armbar on Rony Sefo)Gesias "JZ" Calvancante vs. Joachim Hansen- Calvancante's 2008 was not very spectacular as the lightweight was in a no-contest against Shinya Aoki, then lost a unanimous decision to Aoki in Dream 1 and 2. Calvancante is a strong stand-up fighter, and I would expect this fight to be nothing less. JZ has wins over Vitor Ribeiro, Nam Phan, Caol Uno and Rani Yahya. Hansen won a majority decision over JZ in 2004.(JZ Calvancante pictured)

Joachim Hansen is always a fan favorite with his killer instincts and slug it out mentality. He recently defeated Shinya Aoki for the Dream lightweight tournament championship. Hansen has quick hands, notching him victories over Luiz Azeredo, Masakazu Imanari, Takanori Gomi and Rumina Sato.(Joachim Hansen pictured)

"Kinniku Mantaro" vs. Bob Sapp- Wow is all I have to say about this match-up. With the Japanese crowd loving to be entertained, this match will feature Japanese wrester Akihito Tanaka wearing a mask of anime charater Kinniku Mantaro. Bob Sapp is already enough of a character. This match will be interesting to say the least.

Semmy Schilt vs. Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga- This is a fight between two excellent stand-up oriented fighters. Schilt has won the K-1 Grand Prix, and Mighty Mo is renowned for his punching power. Schilt will have the size advantage as he stands 6'11".

Alistair Overeem v. Badr Hari- This fight was recently signed. Hari, an elite K-1 level kickboxer, advanced to the 2008 K-1 Grand Prix finals before getting DQ'd in a match against Remy Bonjasky. Hari, in a very strange sequence, took Bonjasky to the ground, threw some punches, and then a foot stomp. Hari, who completely disregarded K-1 rules, never fully explained the incident. Hari has around 78 kickboxing victories to around 8 defeats. He is a former K-1 HW champ.

Alistair Overeem has seen some controversy this year as well, when he had a fight ruled a no contest after repeatedly striking Mirko Cro Cop in the groin. Overeem had a sizable advantage on the judges scorecards when he used that tactic. Overeem has a 4 fight win streak, having beat Paul Buentello, Tae Hyun Lee, Mark Hunt and Gary Goodridge all before the end of the second round. His kickboxing record is around 4 wins to 2 defeats, but hasn't competed in professional kickboxing in a long time.

My guess is that K-1 wants to get these fighters for the publicity they will generate. Alistair has to be getting paid mega dollars to take this match under K-1 rules.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Here are the results of the K-1 Grand Prix 2008. The Flying Gentelman Remy Bonjasky came out victorious after Badr Hari punched and stomped a downed Remy Bonjasky which is illegal in K-1 Kickboxing rules.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The finale for TUF 8 has been set for December 13th. The fights feature 16 fighters from the TUF 8 house.

Efrain Escudero vs. Phillipe Nover (LW Final)- Efrain Escudero took out quality veteran Ido Pariente in the first round, Shane Nelson in the second and Junie Browning to make it to the finals. Definately wins over the best run of any fighter so far. Efrain's strength is his wrestling game. He also has a quality submission game and decent hands.(Efrain Escudero pictured)

Phillipe Nover also had a tough first round opponent in Joe Duarte. In the second he defeated Dave Kaplan and then walked through George Roop. Nover has looked excellent standing and in his submission game. He also seems to be extremely athletic. He recently received his BJJ black belt.(Phillipe Nover pictured)Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhaes (LHW Final)- Ryan Bader, the two time All-American wrestler is lightning quick in his takedown ability. He is very strong and doesn't lack in the cardio department. Bader took out Kyle Kingsbury, Tom Lawler and then Eliot Marshall to make the finals. Bader may try to keep the fight standing to avoid Vinny's steller BJJ game.(Ryan Bader pictured)

Vinny Magalhaes is world renowned in his BJJ skills. The blackbelt beat Lance Evans with some body kicks, then got submissions on Jules Bruchez and Krzysztof Soszynski to advance to the finals. In his fight with Krzystof, Vinny pulled guard trapping his arms and getting an armbar. Vinny might have a tough time pulling guard with Bader.(Vinny Magalhaes pictured)

MMA Blaster was happy to touch base with mixed martial artist Chuck "The Reverend" Grigsby. Chuck will be defending his MCC title belt on Wednesday, November 26th against Travis "Ironman" Fulton. MCC 17: Thanksgiving Showdown will take place at Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines.MMA Blaster: Rev, how's it going? Since your fight in June, how has your training changed?

Rev: First off I would like to thank you for the opportunity being on such a great website and the positive exposure MMA Blaster has given me throughout my career. I think it is one the best media outlets in the fight game.

My training has changed dramatically since I put my gym (Team Revolution) on hold and began to fully focus on myself and my training. This is the first time in my career that I have been able to walk in a gym and just be the student with no coaching or training responsibilities. It pretty ironic since I've been doing this sport since 2004, I'm surprised I've made this far to be honest, in the short time that I have been training for this fight I have seen significant improvements in all areas. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to train with Miletich Fighting Systems for about 4 or 5 weeks immediately after my last fight and soaked up as much knowledge from Pat Miltich and the guys who trained with me.

Special shout out to Josh Neer and Mike C. After the birth of my son I wasn’t able to maintain the three hour one way trip to train and now exclusively train in Des Moines at West Boxing and Central Iowa Mixed Martial Arts.

MMA Blaster: What are the biggest improvements that you have made in your fight skills since June?

Rev: I think my biggest improvement since my last fight has been mental toughness. Mitich, West Side Boxing, and Central Mixed Martial Arts have took the gloves off and really put me through a tough tough camp. People that know me know that I don’t train just for one fight, I train for multiple fights so I can obtain multiple wins and build win streaks.

MMA Blaster: What do you know about Travis Fulton? Any comments on the fight?

Rev: All I know about my opponent is that he is very experienced and a tough hard nose type guy who likes to get down and grind out fights. That's just the type of fighter I need to face to begin another chapter in the fight game. I think its good match up stylistically for the fans because he may just try to stand a little bit. I expect a very physical fight.

MMA Blaster: How has parenthood treated you? How has it changed your outlook on life and fighting?

Rev: My outlook has definitely changed as a fighter with birth of my son Xander, he and my wife have been the strength and cornerstone of my strength and purpose throughout times of adversity

MMA Blaster: What are your goals for 2009?

Rev: My goals for 09' are to win, win, win! I'm a “free agent” now that the WEC has dropped my weight class, 205. I can fight anywhere at anytime, so I'll do that, but first thing first, November 26th when I defend one of my titles for the second time with Midwest Cage Championships here in Des Moines. I'm excited to fight for MCC again. They are a great promotion that has awesome fans who understand and respect the sport.

(Pictured: Chuck "The Reverend" Grigsby")

*MMA Blaster would like to thank Rev for his time and kind words.*Tickets for MCC: 17 can be purchased at Ticketmaster, the Val Air box office and http://www.midwestcagechampionship.com/*Mike C. is Mike Ciesnolevicz, a former IFL fighter with notable wins over Aaron Stark, Alex Schoenauer and Brent Beauparlant.*Josh Neer has fought 7 times in the UFC with wins over Din Thomas, Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard.

This Wednesday, Spike TV will host UFC: Fights for the Troops from Fayetteville, N.C. in conjunction with Fort Bragg. They will be raising money and promoting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Koscheck v. Yoshida is the headlining bout. Koscheck is fresh off a loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 90. Yoshida was supposed to face Karo Parisyan a couple months ago, but Karo was injured. Yoshida's last fight was an awesome 56 second anaconda choke that put War Machine unconscious.

The card also features a bout between Johnathan Goulet v. Mike Swick. Swick is coming off surgery to clear bone fragments from his elbow. Swick last defeated Marcus Davis via unanimous decision. Goulet has won two straight in the UFC over Kuniyoshi Hironoka and Paul Georgieff.

*All fighters made weight except Brodie Farber and Luigi Fioravanti. Farber and Fioravanti are meeting at a catchweight of 174 pounds.

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